Canadian Famine Relief Concert Hits A Snag

Some of Canada's top pop-music producers have gotten into a tug-of-war over who gets to stage that country's version of Live Aid. As a result, all such events have been dropped for the near future.

Hours before Keith Sharp, publisher of Music Express, was to announce the lineup for a Toronto concert for African famine relief, he found that support for his event had withered. Sharp had secured the endorsement of Live Aid organizer Bob Geldof, but ''Bruce Allen, a highly influential industryite who spearheaded Canada's Northern Lights all-star famine relief recording earlier this year, wrote to other Canadian managers, and to Sharp himself, calling Sharp's initiative 'ill-conceived, ill-planned and ill-timed,' '' reported Billboard.

Allen, who manages Bryan Adams and Loverboy, had been planning a benefit concert of his own for later this year. He says he hopes to get backing for his event when industry representatives meet in Toronto in November for the annual Juno Awards. His Northern Lights for Africa Society has raised $2.5 million through the release of the single ''Tears Are Not Enough.''

''Given the Northern Lights clout,'' reported Billboard, ''it became apparent a few weeks ago that Allen and Sharp could not proceed out of step. Sharp's event, though blessed by Geldof, didn't have the industry on its side. Allen's event, however, was not fully planned, so he was in no position to pre-empt Sharp.''